Shears



March 13. 1928. 1,662,772

0. WILKES ET AL SHEARS Filed Nov. 8, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet l 61 mzw% BY 5g 6% mm W A ORNEYS.

March 13, 1928.

- C. H. WILKES ET AL SHEARS Filed Nov. 8, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet il? Ill/ii. lllllxlllllllw II 1 VENTOR.

. ,y W a 6. avz L 4 AT ORNEYS,

March 13, 1928. 1,662,772

Jhrrvess V Patented Mar. 13, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT ors ca- CLARENCE H. WILKES AND GEORGE E. CALHOUN,or. AMSTERDAM, NEW YORK, A8- srenons TO A-KEE-NA rnonuo'rs COMPANY,rnconronarnn, on AMSTERDAM, NEW YORK, A oonronarron or DELAWARE. I

SHEARS.

Application filed November 8, 1926. Serial lTo. 147,082.

This invention relates to shears of the'class set forth in our pendingapplication Serial No. 32,911. filed May 26, 1925, in which the'shearing blades are detachably mounted upon the adjacent faces of a pairof pivotally connected levers or blade supporting sections so that theymay be quickly removed for sharpening purposes and replaced; by new orsharpened blades when desired without renewing or replacing any of theother parts.

One of the greatest advantages in the use of removable blades in shearsof this character is that the blades may be made from plate or sheetsteel of uniform thickness and, therefore, capable of being tempered tothe required degree of toughness and hardness more uniformly andeconomically than would be possible withithe cutting edges formeddirectly upon thecrossing levers as commonly practised.

It is highly important in all classes of shears and particularly thosewith removable blades to maintain close contact of the a shearing edgesthroughout their entire working lengths or from their extreme rear endsto the extreme front ends or points.

The main object of the present invention is to not only meet theserequirements but also to enable the blades to be easily, and quicklyremoved and replaced by new ones at less than the cost usually incurredin sharpening the old type of blades.

Another object is to assure a firm retention of the blades in operative.position against relative movement upon the respec tive levers when thelatter with the blades thereon are assembled for use.

Other objects and uses relating to specific parts of the shears will bebrought out in the following description.

In the drawings i Figures 1 and 2 are opposite face views of a pair ofshears embodying the various features of our invention.

Figure 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional View taken on line 33,Figure 1, the handles being broken away. 7

Figures 4 and 5 are face views of the separate detached shearing bladesshown in Figures 1, 2 and 3. r

Figures 6 and 7 are opposite face views of a heavier service shearsshowing certain i'i'iodifications in the form of the levers and in theconstruction of the pivotal post and of other detail parts.

I Figure8 is an enlarged longitudinal sec tional view, partly brokenaway, taken on line 88, Figure 6.

Figures .9 and 10 are face views of the detached cooperative shearingblades.

The shearsshown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive comprisesa pair of lovers land -2 crossing each other intermediate their ends and pivotallyconnected to each other by a pivotal stud -3 for relative shearingmovement about the axis of the pivot.

Theforwardly extending arm of the lever 1 constitutes, what may betermed a blade-supporting section 1 having its inner face substantiallyflat transversely and slightly concaved longitudinally for receiving andsupporting a separate shearing blade section .5 the other end of saidlever being provided with a handle or finger loop 8 of any suitable formto facilitate the manipnla-tionof the levers.

. .The forwardly projecting arm of the lever -2- constitutes what may betermed a blade-supportin section 6- having its face substantially fiattransversely and slightly concaved longitudinally for receiving andsupporting a separate shearing blade section 7 for shearing co-actionwith the blade section -5,the other end 'of said lever 2 being formedwith a handle or finger loop -8- in opposite relation to the handle 8 tofacilitate'the manipulation of the levers about the axis of the pivotalstud 3. 1 a

The stud 3 is riveted or otherwise firmly secured at one end in anaperture 9 in the lever 1 and has its other end extended axially beyondthe inner face of said lever through anaperture 10 in the lever 2 toform a journal bearing for the last-named lever which has its innertransversely flattened face extended rearwardly some distance beyond thestud 3.

The shearing blade sections 5- and 7- are substantially the same lengthand extend along the inner faces of their respective arms 4-- and 6 frompoints some distance to the rear of the stud 3- to points a considerabledistance beyond the front ends of the arms -4'- and 6- and arerespectively provided with apertures 11 and -12- registering with thecorresponding apertures -9- and 10*- for receiving the pivotal stud -3-.

The transversely flattened inner face of the arm --4- of the lever 1extends rearwardly some distance beyond the pivot'al stud 3 where itjoins the shank of the handle 8 and at this junction the shank isthickened transversely to extend beyond the inner transversely flattenedface of the arm -4 a distance corresponding approximately to thecombined thicknesses of the adjacent portions of the arm v 8* andshearing blades -5 and -7 as shownfin Figure 3 thereby forming a stop*5" and ;7- are detachably mounted upon the inner faces of theirrespective supporting arms a and 5 of the levers 1 and -2 and arepreferably of greater length than said arms so that when adjusted foruse they will extend a considerable distance beyond the front endsthereof as shown in Figure 3 thereby conserving the amount of stockrequired for the levers land 2 and at the'saine time assuring greatershearing efficiency of the blades throughout their entire lengths fromheel to point.

The portion of the stud --3 passing through the registering apertures inthe parts -5*, 6- and -7 is cylindrical and of substantially the samediameter as the openings -10-- and -12 in the parts -6-- and -7 so as tohold those parts against radial and endwise movement relatively to eachother and to the lever 1 when the parts are adjusted foruse While at thesame time permitting free turning movement of the arms -l-- and-6- andblades 5- and -7 carried thereby about the axis of the stud.

Similar devices are provided for holding each of the blades 5- andagainst turning movement relatively to its supporting arm 4-- about theaxis of the pivotal stud -3+- and for this purpose each of the arms-4and 6- is provided near its front end with lugs -13 and 13- riveted orotherwise secured in suitable apertures therein so as to becomepermanent parts thereof as shown in Figure 3.

These lugs -13 and 13 project inwardly from the inner faces of theirrespective arms -4- and -6 and are adapted to enter elongated slots -14-and --14 in the corresponding shearing blades 5 and 7-.

The front end walls of the slots v14 and -14'- are beveled or inclinedinwardly and forwardly from their outer faces to form wed e-shapedlocking shoulders -15- and 15 front ends of the lugs 13 and --1.3-respectively to assist in holding the blades -5 and 7 upon theirrespective arms 'l and 6.

The portions of the lugs 18- and 13', projecting inwardly from their innor faces of their respective arms 4,- and -6, are of'just sullicienttransverse width to enter their respective slots --lel and adapted to beengaged by the --14'- withoutlateral playso that when v seated in saidslots the adjacent portions of the blades -5-- and 7 will be heldagainst lateral movement relatively to their corresponding arms tand-45. v

The front ends or toes of the lugs 'l3 and -13'-- are also beveledinwardly and substantially equal to the thickness of their respectiveblades 5- and -7-- so that when the blades are assembled upon theircorresponding supporting arms in engagement with the adjacent lugs, theinner faces of the lugs will be substantially flush or slightly withinthe corresponding inner faces of the blades so as to avoid a possibilityof contact of the cutting edges of either blade with the lug of theother blade as the shears are opened and closed.

The rear ends of the slots -14 and -14-- are also beveled inwardly andforwardly from the outer faces of the blades 5" and -7--substantiallyparallel with their corresponding shoulders +15 and --15-so as to facilitate the assembling of theblades upon theirrespcctivelugs in a manner hereinafter described;

The length of the inwardly projecting portions of the lugs --13- and 13-is approximately equal to the length of the slots which receive them butfor convenience of assembling, the rear ends or heels of the lugs aredisposed at substantially right angles to their inner faces as shown inFigure 3 thus permitting the rear ends of the blades to be tilted aboutthe toes of the respective lugs as fulerums in the act of placing theblades upon or removing them from their respective arms +-4'- and 6-.

Owing to this necessity for tilting movement of the blade 5- relativelyto its supporting arm -4 the aperture -11- is elongated lengthwise ofthe blade sufficiently lOO to allow the rear end of the blade to passover and upon the pivotal stud -3 which,

it will be remembered, is rigidly secured to the arm 4. a i

It will be noted however that the blade '7- is placed upon itssupporting arm -6- in engagement with the correspondingv'lug 13 beforethe lever 2 is placed'upon the lever 1. and,'therefore, there is nonecessity for elongating the opening 12- in the blade .-7 because it,together with its lever 2 may be moved rectilinearly or axially over andupon the stud 3 and held in operative relation to its companion blade 5and its support 4 by means presently described.

As a furthermeans for facilitating the assembly of the levers 1 and 2one upon the other with their respective blades in operative positionthereon, the stud 3- is extended beyond the outer face of the adjacentportion of the lever 2. and is provided-with an annular groove 16adapted to be engaged by a latch lever 17 which, in turn, is journaledupon the thickened portion of the shank of the lever --1 by means of apivotal pin 1S just at the rear of the shoulder 1 as shown in Figure 3.v a

This latch lever '17 rests against the adjacent outer face of the levers1- and 2 and is provided with aslot '17 open atone side to permit thepassage of the reduced portion of the pivotal stud --3 thereinto, theclosed side of theslot serving as a stop for limiting the lockingmovement of the latch.

Suitable means is also provided for hold.- ing the blade 5 againstacidental endwise movement due to the elongation of the slot -1l whenadjusted for use and for this purpose a relatively short stud 19 isriveted or otherwise secured in an aperture in the blade 5 just in frontof the slot -11*- and is adapted to seat in a corresponding socket 20 inthe inner face of the supporting arm-4, the diameters of the socket -20and portion of the stud 19 entering the same being substantially equalso as to assist in holding the blade 5 against endwise movement as wellas against lateral movement relatively to the arm 4.

It is to be understood however that the transverse width of the slot 1lis substantially equal to the diameter of the adjacent portion of thepivotal stud 3- for the purpose of holding the rear end of the blade 5against lateral movement.

The shears shown in Figures 6 to 10 inclusive are quite similar to thatshown in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive except as to form or design and withthe further exception that the pivotal. stud as --3 is provided with apost -2l-- extending axially some distance beyond the outerface of thelever '1 to afford a rest adapted to engage the surface of a table orother support upon which the shears might be laid to hold the shears ata convenient angle for the engagement of the handles by the hand of theuser. V

A further exception is that the stud as l9' instead of being secured tothe adjacent blade is riveted .orotherwise secured to the correspondingarm l of the lever land has its inner end projecting slightly beyond theinner face of said arm for entrance into an aperture -2l'- in the blade5 to assistin holding the blade and arm against relative endwise orlateral movement when the parts are assembled Y for use.

Otherwise the same description applied to the construction shown inFigures 1 to 5 inclusive also applies to the construction shown inFigures 6 to 10 inclusive.

Operation.

In assembling theparts of the shears the blade 5- is firstplacedflatwise against the inner face of the front end of the arm 4 withits slot 14- registered with the lug and its rear end tilted away fromthe adjacent portion of the arm 4: suffi ciently to enable the beveledshoulder .15 to engagethe beveled front end or toe of the lug '-13-whereupon the blade 5 is drawn reaiwardly upon the lug '13 in the mannerof drawing a shoe on to the foot thereby causing the beveled shoulder 15to wedge against the beveled toe of the lug 13- and drawing the adjacentportion of the blade tightly against the inner face of the arm 4; duringwhich operation the slot -1l in the rear end of the blade 5 isregistered with the free end of the pivotal stud 3 and the rear end ofthe blade is then forced against the inner face of the arm 4 causing thestud -19 to enter the socket 20.

The blade -7 is then placed upon and against the inner face of itssupporting arm 6 in such manner as to cause the lug l3- to enter theslot -14 whereupon the rearward movement of the blade 7- along and uponthe inner face of the arm 6 will cause the beveled shoulder 15 to wedgeagainst the beveled toe ofthe lug +l3 thereby drawing the blade 7tightly against the inner face of the supporting arm 6.

The aperture 12 in the blade 7 is then registered with the opening 10 inthe arm 6, and the lever 2 with the blade 7 thereon is then placed overand upon the pivotal stud 3 until the inner face of the blade 7-contacts with the inner face of its companion blade 5 whereupon thelatch lever 17 is forced by hand Lid into

all

, lengths orfroin heel to point.

When it is desired to remove the blades the largelever -17 is simplyrocked from its locking posit-ion out of engagement with the adjacentface of the lever 2 whereupon the lever -2 and blades 5 and 6 may beeasily withdrawn one from the other axially of the stud 3- or, when thelatch lever is unlocked in the manner described, the inversion of thelever '1 with the free end of the stud -3 at the bottom will allow the(lever 2- and blades 5- and 6 to fall out of engagement with each otherand with the lever -1 by their own weight ready for replacement of newblades ii desired or in case the old blades become worn.

It will be seen h'OlTl the foregoing description that a shearsconstructed in the manner described is adistinet advance in this art inthat the blade supporting levers may be made from untempered and,therefore, lower priced material while the blades may alsobe made ofrelatively low-priced tempered sheet or plate steel and, when dulled orotherwise impaired, may be replaced by sharp blades without materialloss of time and at no more cost than would be occasioned by thesharpening of the blades of ordinary shears. i a.

Furthermore, the manner of mounting the blades upon their respectivelevers assures a close contact of the cuttting edges thereof throughouttheir lengths without adjustment due partially to the spring tensionexerted by the latch lever -17 tending to hold the blades in contact.

What we claim is In a shears, a pair of levers crossing each other,separate shearing blades detachv ably applied to the inner faces of thefront arms of the levers to overlap at the crossing, a pivotal studsecured to one lever and; pro jecting through registering apertures inthe other lever and blades, the blade attached tober, 1926.

CLARENCE I-I. XVILKES. GEORGE' E. CALHOUN.

